Monsters in the night

Last night, on the eve of halloween, we were visited by a few different kinds of monsters.

The first is our familiar beasty - Wren - who has taken it upon himself to wake at midnight and wail and shriek like the most fiendish ghoul. He will not settle himself even after 20 minutes of crying. He won't settle if Joshua goes in to him and so I have to get up and soothe him. Last night I did this by patting his back and singing. This is not easy because the crib has high sides and the position cuts of circulation to my arms while hurting my back. If I lower the sides he could fall out but the click and squeak of raising the sides would wake him so I do not risk that move. He fell asleep after 20 minutes of hiccoughing and fixing me with a baleful eye when I broke the rhythm of my rubbing and patting and singing silly songs about mocking birds and diamond rings.

The next beast comes out of the darkness to our back door. I come out each morning to find the cats' water trough knocked over and their bowls empty. Now, Kasharoo could empty a catfood bowl but I would not expect her to knock over the water. This morning I found the ceramic catfood bowl smashed at the bottom of the back stairs. It seems an uncatlike thing. I suspect a raccoon. I am not sure what to do other than buy a plastic catfood bowl and put the water at the base of the stairs.

Tonight is Halloween and I shall post pictures from our own trick or treating tomorrow.